


Lost Colonies of Vinland

by Ashynarr



Series: Vinland!Verse [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Gen, Vinland!verse AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-13
Updated: 2012-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-11 01:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3311072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashynarr/pseuds/Ashynarr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Old, old OLD piece from early in my Hetalia days, but important for establishing the rest of my fics in this AU. Might actually rewrite this one of these days... maybe...</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Lost And Found

**Author's Note:**

> Old, old OLD piece from early in my Hetalia days, but important for establishing the rest of my fics in this AU. Might actually rewrite this one of these days... maybe...

((Early 1000s))

Denmark ground his teeth, resisting the urge to slam his fists on the rail as he watched the island slowly disappear over the horizon. Norway and Iceland stood behind him, silent, but he knew they were also annoyed at the situation they were in. Sweden and Finland had disappeared below deck, and Denmark couldn't blame them; the loss of the twins – their colonies – was a blow to all of them.

Leifsbudir and Hóp; the twin colonies of Vinland and energetic young troublemakers. They had mostly taken after Finland in looks, but while Hóp was more like Denmark in personality, Leif acted more like Norway. Both, however, absolutely adored Sweden and were often found playing by him when he worked around the villages. When he wasn't available, Iceland was often found running around with them and mostly keeping them out of trouble.

Several days ago, though, they had disappeared without a trace. All suspected the two to have been kidnapped by the natives, but the only expedition to track them down had failed and had to be called back for defense. The village of Hóp had to be abandoned because of the unrelenting attacks, and when they arrived at Leifsbudir, they found the villagers there packing and ready to leave due to similar attacks.

Now they were sailing away, perhaps for good, and they all idly wondered about the fate of the children. None held any hope that the two would live; the chances of them surviving on their own, without any people to call their own, was very low. It was depressing, but they accepted it.

The island disappeared from sight, and Denmark turned away. He had ships to run.

~0~0~

((Mid 1600s))

Finland smiled as he took a walk around the gardens of his and Sweden's villa. Yes, America was a lovely place, and certainly warmer than his house back north. The air was clean, the land was pristine, the food was plentiful, and he only wished he could stay there all year round. Responsibilities, however, found a way to call him back home constantly, leaving him little time to simply kick back like he was now.

A rustle in some nearby bushes caught his attention, and he turned to see a pair of bright blue eyes watching him with curiosity. For a second he fought off a sense of deja vu, before he bent down to get a better look. The movement startled the child, and he fled into the woods. Finland stared after him a moment longer before shaking his head and returning to the house.

When he told Sweden about the encounter, the man was silent, deep in thought. He then got up, muttering about seeing the kid for himself. An hour later, the taller man returned, looking vaguely baffled. He had also seen the boy and experienced deja vu. His attempt to capture the kid, however, had sent the child fleeing deeper into the woods. Both only caught glimpses after that, and it wasn't until Netherlands kicked Finland out of the villa (and claimed it for himself) that he ran into the kid again.

Sweden was away at the time, so Finland sat by a creek, crying and generally complaining to England and France until the latter asked what was wrong. They looked unsympathetic to his loss, but perked up once he mentioned the kid he'd seen running around. All three came to the realization that the kid must be a Nation like them, and was probably America.

When they ran into the kid, England and France immediately pointed out features like their own which 'obviously proved' he was their baby brother; when Finland asked about how much the kid took after him, both paled and stammered about how looks 'didn't matter' and that they should 'focus on catching the young boy's heart'.

The next day America was asleep in England's arms, and while Finland supposed it was fair (since the man had supposedly gotten up early just to get some time alone with the child), he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of loss. He soon moved back to his land, and in the intervening years forgot about the incident.

~0~0~

((Late 1700s))

Sweden stood in the meeting room, the ambassador to France beside him. They were waiting for America and his own ambassador to arrive so they could finish working out their treaty, and in the silence the Nation thought about the newly independent Nation. He knew very little about the other, as England had generally been very clammed up about it.

France, Spain, and Prussia had all helped the young colony fight for his independence, but they too were quiet on what the boy was like. The only bit of information they gave was a light grin and "You'll know him when you meet him; he's very spirited." Like that was helpful in any way.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and two people walked in. The first he knew to be Benjamin Franklin from what he'd been told by the ambassador, and the other...

For a second he thought Denmark had entered the room, but this boy was too young and wore a suit more suited to the British than the outfits he knew his former captor wore. However, the grin on his face was eerily reminiscent of the other, and the eyes and hair color – each just a shade off – only added to the awkwardness of it all. He hadn't realized he was staring until a cough beside him broke the daze.

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, and as the ink from the signatures dried the two ambassadors shook hands, leaving Sweden and America on the side. The latter nudged the other, and gave the taller man a grin once he had his attention. "Hey, thanks for recognizing me as a Nation, Sweden. I was kinda worried earlier when you were staring at me – did I do something wrong?"

Sweden slowly shook his head. "No, you just surprised me is all."

"How come?" The young Nation asked, curiosity in his voice.

"...You look a lot like someone I know. Thought you were him for a second."

America tilted his head ( _just like Denmark_ , Sweden idly thought) at the answer. "Oh. Yeah, I guess that'd throw me off too if I saw someone who looked like Ar- England."

Sweden nodded silently, and soon after the two parted ways, but the older Nation could never shake off the odd similarities between the two.

~0~0~

((1960))

" _...discovered at the northern tip of Newfoundland..."_

" _...proof of European presence in North America long before Columbus..."_

" _...second village was discovered in Maine last week..."_

" _...some of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century..."_

" _...near perfect match with historical records..."_

" _...excavations are to be started in cooperation with archaeologists from the Nordic countries..."_

" _...lost Norse colonies found..."_

Norway stood on the beach, looking out across the water. Behind him, his people were working to carefully excavate the ruins of a village he hadn't set foot in for almost a thousand years. His mind was lost in memories of the past, back when he and the others had struck fear in most of Europe. He could still see where the buildings had stood, even if they were just memories and ruins now. Perhaps he'd stop by the southern excavation later; Iceland was there now and he wanted to see how his younger brother (by blood!) was fairing with the memories.

Voices drifted across the beach, young and definitely not from the archaeologists who were all busy working. Still partially lost in his thoughts, he turned to see who was invading his privacy, and the words died in his throat as he took in the ghosts before him. Even if they were older and now much larger in the world, seeing them side by side made it all but obvious who they were.

"Leifsbudir? Hóp?" He asked dazedly, not seeing Canada and America, but the villages founded and abandoned long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is my first full story in the little universe I'm tossing together. It's inspired by a very well written oneshot where Canada turns out to be Vinland; while I like the idea, I also like America and Canada being twins, so I had to find something to justify having both as canon.
> 
> The other thing this is based on is the fact that America and Denmark, in the 'official art', look eerily similar, and also act similar as well. Of course there are plenty of differences, but when one attributes it to having a mixture of five different peoples, I think I can make it slide.
> 
> When I went to look up information on Vinland, it turns out that there was plenty of evidence to suggest other settlements that haven't been found yet. After some deliberation, I decided to change it to Maine since there was evidence of trade between the Natives and the Norse there.
> 
> As I've warned, this is AU to our universe and to Hetalia canon. Don't take anything here as related to any other works or headcanons - it's its own special AU that for some reason people still like even though it's old as balls.


	2. Part 1: Vinland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norway recounts the past as he recalls it, and mulls over lingering regrets.

Hóp blinked. "Who?" And with that the image shattered, but Norway still couldn't stop staring at them. Now that the epiphany had come, it was easy to see the resemblances that had been ignored because they had refused to believe that the colonies could survive and thrive on their own.

The two were now the same height as Denmark, and both had also inherited his dusty blond hair. But while America had the same bright blue eyes, Canada's eyes were the same shade of violet as Iceland. Both had the general bone structure of Finland, although he also saw features from Sweden and himself. The image was completed with the glasses they wore, reminiscent of Sweden's own set.

He hadn't realized how long he'd been staring until an ungloved hand snapped in front of his face. "Hey, Earth to Norway; You okay, dude? You look like you've seen a ghost or somethin'." America looked somewhat concerned, but relaxed once he saw Norway snap out of his daze.

"I- I'm sorry, I just..." Norway shook his head. "How much do you remember from before England and France came to your lands?"

America blinked at the question. "...not much, just wandering a lot." He turned to Canada. "What about you, bro?"

Canada shrugged, the movement waking Nanuq, who had been asleep in his arms. "Just wandering with Nanuq. I don't remember ever not having him nearby. Why?" The last was directed at Norway.

"...well... it's just... you two look just like the colonies I and the others found and raised a long time ago."

Canada was quick on the uptake. "You mean the villages they're excavating? But that was..."

"...a thousand year ago. I know."

America frowned in confusion. "But isn't that, what, a five hundred or so year difference between when you left and England and the others came?"

Norway sighed. "That's what's confusing me; there's no way for you – them – to have survived that long without people to represent. Or that's what we thought, anyway..." He trailed off, sounding unsure.

The twins glanced at each other, before Canada spoke up. "Why don't you tell us about them? Maybe it'll help..."

Norway was silent for a moment, mulling over the idea. He took a breath, and started speaking.

~0~0~

((late 900s))

Norway stood back, surveying the village he and the colonists had worked hard to build over the long summer. Originally Denmark, Sweden, and Finland had been here as well, but once the buildings had started to go up they had taken some of the colonists further south to where (if the reports were to be trusted) there was more than enough easily-gathered food to last both future villages through the winter.

So when one of the men who had been ordered to chart the area returned with a sleeping child in hand, he and Iceland (still a child himself) were the only ones available to report to.

"Sir, it's bizarre. I know none of the women were with child on the voyage over, and we didn't bring any children along either - other than the young man beside you, of course. He isn't native, either; in fact, he almost looks like the captain..." The poor man looked lost, trying to figure out a riddle with no easy answer.

Iceland wanted a closer look, so he tugged on the man's arm, who obligingly crouched so the boy could get a better look. The slight movement nudged the little one awake; he yawned and blinked sleepy violet eyes, staring straight into the surprised gaze of the older boy. Norway nearly choked when he saw how closely their eyes matched.

"Let me see the child." He was quickly handed over, and Norway looked the child over with a critical eye as the boy gazed with curiosity at the person holding him. Yes, the child did seem to be a strange mixture of all five Nations, and that was all the information he needed to figure out who this boy was. In a quiet voice, he asked, "Is your name Vinland?"

He was shocked when the boy shook his head. "My name is Lef – Leifsbudir." The boy stumbled over the name, but quickly corrected himself. "Who're you?"

"...Norway. And this is Iceland." A growl sounded out, and Leifsbudir blushed. "Are you hungry?" A small nod. "Alright then, let's head back to the village. I'll take him from here." He said the last to the other man, who nodded in thanks before leaving.

The three left returned to the village, where the women who were just finishing lunch spent some time fawning over the newest addition to the village. Leifsbudir blushed from all the attention and tried to hide his face, which only encouraged more fawning. They were just finishing lunch when someone yelled about returning ships.

Norway stood nearby as the lead ship pulled in, Leifsbudir in hand, and patiently waited for the other Nations to disembark. What he didn't expect was the small boy – who looked just like his own except for those blue eyes – in Sweden's arms. Finland, having rushed over, blinked confusedly at the boy with Norway, before looking back at Sweden. "Two of them?"

Leif found the other child fascinating. "You look like me!" He said in surprise.

The other laughed. "No way, you look like me!"

His cheeks puffed out in frustration. "Oh yeah, says who?"

"Says me!" The other declared proudly, sounding remarkably like Denmark.

Sweden put one of his large hands on the boy's head, earning a squawk of protest. "Be nice, Hóp. He's your brother." He got a light nod of confirmation from Norway.

"This is Leifsbudir. One of the scouts just found him today, but from how dirty he was, he was probably wandering for a few days."

Finland blinked, surprised. "That's how we got Hóp here. We were just getting ready to leave when the scout came running up, boy in hand. Denmark decided to bring him along, and we found out along the way who he was."

As the two were talking, Leif used the distraction to escape from Norway's arms, making his way over to the man holding his twin. Sweden bent down, and the boy crawled into his arms next to Hóp; the two then started eagerly chatting. A light smile was on the man's face as he held both, a rare expression for him.

Denmark chose that moment to join them. "Everything's off the ships, and we definitely have enough food for the winter... hello, who's this?" He finished as he caught site of the second child.

"Leifsbudir." At his name the boy looked up, prompting his twin to mirror him.

Denmark blinked. "Uh... which one?" The one on the left shyly waved his hand. All the older Nations looked at each other wearily.

"We're going to be doing that a lot, aren't we?" Denmark asked, resigned. Sweden silently nodded, answering for all of them.

~0~0~

Winter passed, and with spring came the time to head south again. The five had agreed to keep the twins together, spending half a year in each village so neither was ever away from their 'land' for too long. However, it seemed Hóp had suffered few, if any, ill effects from being away from his village for several months despite how young he was. Maybe it was a side effect of them both being Vinland, much like their identical looks and constant proximity to one another.

Whatever the case, both children were more than excited to head south, and the entire trip was spent with Hóp detailing everything he remembered of the surrounding land to his enraptured twin. When the ship pulled into the dock, the two were off like a shot into the village.

Some of the villagers approached Denmark; while they quietly spoke his face gradually fell into a frown. Finally he nodded in thanks and started walking down the path to the edge of the village. Norway's gaze followed him for a bit, curious as to what had suddenly put the other into a bad mood.

Later, he would find out that the natives had come during the winter, looking to see who the newcomers were. They seemed to ask for the leader, but when he came forward the natives grew frustrated and left. Of course, Denmark realized that they had probably been asking for him, so he had to gather a small group of men and go to them.

He never said exactly what happened, but soon after he returned the natives agreed to start trade. The Nordics were very careful to make sure no iron weapons or tools made their way out of the villager's hands, but otherwise the trade was rather open. A steady peace was maintained.

Summer came and went, and with it the first ships to return home with wood and food. All the Nordics except Finland went with them; he had decided to stay and keep an eye on the twins. A year-long rotating schedule was set up so each Nation would spend time in both Vinland and at their homes, since they had duties in both places.

And thus the years passed. The twins didn't age, and at some point the villagers realized who they were but agreed to keep quiet about it. They were always together, which while making hunting them down easier, also made it all but impossible to tell them apart for long periods of time. Their need to trade clothes on a whim didn't help, because they couldn't just put them in different outfits and use that to tell them apart.

Then one year it all fell apart.

~0~0~

((Early 1000s))

It had been a simple mistake. One of the young native men had found an iron ax left by itself while its owner stepped away. When the man had returned to see the other waving it like a weapon, he had panicked and attacked the boy, injuring him.

It turned out that boy was one of the chief's sons, and he had deliberately mangled the story to where he was a innocent victim of a 'unprovoked attack'. It was one of the rare times where all the Nordics were present, and they tried their best to explain the accident, but the chiefs and local personifications refused to believe it.

The first attack on Hóp was unsuccessful, as the Viking nations stood ready, fully decked in armor and weapons ready. The sight was imposing, and the natives fled. A heavy sentry force was set up to keep vigil at all times, and all the villagers started sleeping with weapons within arm's reach.

Several weeks later, there had been no sight of the natives, and tensions were high. Then a scream pierced through the air. One of the villagers had checked in on the twins' room when she hadn't heard them stir by their usual time, only to find the beds cold and empty. A search of the village proved fruitless, and the only solution anyone could thing of was that somehow the natives had snuck in and grabbed them before making their escape in the darkness. How they had gotten through the guard was a mystery, and it had everyone even more on edge.

Norway had gone out with the search party, using his spirits to try to find a trace of them, but nothing came up; a very unusual occurrence. When news of the approaching force reached him, he was forced to return to defend.

They held out for nearly a week, having abandoned the village proper to take up a defensive position further inland. Eventually the drove the natives back, and in the respite the villagers quickly grabbed everything they could and piled onto the ships, leaving the village behind. They arrived at the same situation in Leifsbudir, and ultimately were forced to completely abandon Vinland.

It was a blow to their pride and their hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't a lot of information on what exactly went on during that time period, just a few sagas which may have evolved and mutated in the 200+ years between when people actually lived in Vinland and when the stories were written down. So I'm pretty much taking liberties on the stuff going on. Yeah...


	3. Part 2: Nanuq

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Matthew's bear explains a bit more on what happened back then.

After Norway finished, there was a long stretch of silence only broken by the waves lapping at the beach. He stared at his hands in an attempt to hold off looking either of them in the face. He didn't want to see the pity in their expressions when they told him they didn't remember anything... that they weren't...

"That was you who was using those spirits to track me?" All three heads snapped to the small polar bear who had spoken. "I have to admit, it took quite a bit of work on my part to keep you off my tail."

Canada was pale. "N-nanuq... what are you talking about?"

Nanuq huffed. "Isn't it obvious? I was the one who took them. It was my mission to get them far away from the village so they could be safely dealt with... what I didn't count on was that damn rabbit interfering..."

~0~0~

((late 1000s))

Nanuq moved through the shadows, steps silent and careful. Several times he had to duck behind buildings and debris to avoid the gazes of the outsiders. In this instant, he was in his human form as the snow-white of his fur would be detrimental for this hunt. He stopped as his keen sense of smell, unchanged by the form, picked up the scent of young spirits. A smirk crossed his face, and with a quick glance around he ducked into the building.

It was dark, but his eyes quickly adjusted and focused on the huddled forms asleep on the far side of the room. He could see the light spiritual aura around them that showed them to be more than human. There was no one else in the room; the situation couldn't have been better.

In a few quick strides he had crossed the room and carefully gathered them up, not wanting to wake them until they were far from the village. One almost seemed to stir, but just shifted and fell back into his dreams. After making sure both were securely held, he slipped back out and quickly retraced his path out of the village.

Dawn was just starting to appear on the horizon before one of the boys started to stir. It was lucky for him that they were far away from the village already or the panicked shout would've alerted their people to the kidnapping. He readjusted his grip to hold the suddenly struggling children (the shout had woken his twin, who started panicking as well) before continuing to the far edge of the island where a boat waited to carry him across to the meeting place agreed upon by the other Spirits.

He was across the water and only a short way from the meeting place when a form jumped in front of him. He groaned – he really didn't need to deal with Manabohzo right now, and told him as such.

"Aww, I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about! Oh, these the kids for the foreign folk? Cute! Why're they with you, though?" The other Spirit poked at one of the kids, who had temporarily stopped struggling to stare at the newcomer.

"I'm bringing them to the war meeting so their fates can be determined. It's likely they'll be killed, so don't get too attached." Nanuq stated plainly, moving to go around the other. The kids had started struggling again, much to his annoyance.

"What? Are you crazy? These kids haven't done anything to deserve death!"

"One of their people attacked Aranck without provocation. They might not be dangerous now, but letting them grow will only lead to trouble in the years to come. It's best to drive them out now before they're a threat."

The other stared in disbelief. "You mean the same Aranck who constantly lied about his trips into the woods so he could watch the foreigners working?"

When put that way, it did seem a bit suspicious, but Nanuq shook his head. "He wouldn't lie about something this serious. He wouldn't..."

Mana was unimpressed. "Uh huh. Sure."

Nanuq opened his mouth to retort, but quickly swiveled to face the way he'd come from, focusing intensely. "They've got tracking spirits on their side..." He took a breath before chanting a spell to remove all traces of his passage. Once he finished, he turned back, readjusting his grip again only to feel something hard under his arms. The kids had been replaced with logs similar in size and weight, and Manabohzo was nowhere to be seen.

A growl escaped his throat. " _Glooskap..._ " He hated when the rabbit felt like playing hero – combined with his trickster ways, everything he did seemed to end in humiliation for others. It didn't help that the rabbit in question always came out unscathed and grinning like a fool. Shifting into his animal form, he started after the runaway Spirit.

It took more than a week to catch up; if there was one thing he could say about the other, his endurance was nothing to scoff at. But endurance wasn't what stopped the wayward Spirit – it was the boys, who looked pale and sick. Their auras were faint and weakening – apparently the foreigners had been driven out successfully, and their Spirits were fading in response.

Nanuq padded out into the clearing, calmly meeting the helpless gaze of Manabohzo. "It's too late; their people have been driven out. They don't have much time left. Face it, Rabbit, you can't always be the hero. Your only option is to give them a swift death..."

He'd made a mistake and come too close; an arm lashed out and Nanuq stumbled back, a long light scar across his chest only lightly bleeding and already stitching together. He glanced at the knife that had been hidden behind the other's arm, now dripping with blood. The smile on the other's face was particularly wicked.

"No way to save them? Oh believe me, there's always a way. I am the hero, after all." The trickster spirit chuckled before holding the dripping knife over the first child's mouth. As a drop fell into his mouth, Mana quietly spoke. "With this blood, you shall take on the strength of the bear, in both body and spirit. May you use this strength to protect those who need it."

"No, you fool!" Nanuq lunged, only to be driven back again with the knife. Meanwhile the boy who had tasted the blood had stopped moving, a glazed look in his eyes. The other boy was frantically shaking him, calling his name and trying to get a response from him. He flinched at the sight of the knife, and tried to scoot away, only to be grabbed by the back of his clothes and forced to taste the blood.

"With this blood, you shall take on the skills of the bear in the hunt; winter shall not hinder you, nor shall your enemies. Use this to your advantage." Both boys shuddered glazed-eyed as their auras flared and grew, stabilizing into a glow greater than before. "No matter what happens, always protect each other. You are twice bound by blood, now and forever; what unites you is far greater than whatever may divide you." Their eyes slid shut, and they fell into a deep sleep.

Nanuq once again lunged at Manabohzo, shifting into human form to better throttle the other. "What have you done, you complete fool?"

The man laughed. "I saved their lives; you can't kill them anymore with your blood in their veins. As long as you live, they'll survive and thrive with the gifts you so thoughtfully gave them. Considering how good you are at surviving, I wouldn't be surprised if that was for the rest of eternity."

The Bear Spirit growled again. "I can still strangle you, though!" The Rabbit Spirit laughed again before shifting into his rabbit form and making his escape, leading the bear on a merry chase around the clearing. It was several hours and approaching dusk before the twins stirred, stopping both in their tracks. The first to open his eyes was the one given strength, rubbing at his eyes.

"What time 's it?" He muttered, surprising both by speaking in their tongue instead of his own language. The boy then stared at the two spirits still in their animal forms with curiosity. "And who're you?"

Both spirits glanced at each other. It seemed that the boy didn't remember anything about being kidnapped – or indeed anything at all, considering he wasn't panicking about being away from his people. Mana carefully approached the boy, trying not to startle him. "I'm Manabohzo, the Rabbit Spirit, and the guy over there is Nanuq, the Bear Spirit."

"Oh." The boy frowned in thought. "...who am I?"

Manabohzo thought for a second. "...Maska. Your name is Maska."

The boy nodded. "Maska... okay! It's nice to meet you, Mana!" He grabbed the rabbit and pulled him into a tight hug, loosening his grip once he realized he was crushing the poor spirit.

The other boy was awake at that point, gazing at the bear awkwardly standing a short way away. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

The bear shifted back. "...I've been better. Do you need a name as well?" The boy nodded. "...then from now on you will be... Kanata."

Kanata frowned in thought, before smiling and nodding. "Okay!" He then turned to Maska, nudging him to get his attention. "Hi, I'm Kanata! Are you my brother?"

Maska grinned. "I'm Maska! And... I don't know. 'bohzo, are we brothers?" He asked the rabbit still in his arms.

The rabbit nodded. "Yeah, you are. Twins, in fact. That means you look the same."

Kanata tilted his head in thought before turning back to his brother. "Do I have blue eyes like you then?"

Maska shook his head. "No, yours are kinda purple-y... like the sky over there." He pointed to the east, where the sky had indeed reached a shade of violet close to the boy's eyes. "So mine aren't like yours then?"

"No, yours look like the sky during the day." Neither questioned this knowledge, just accepted it as fact. They continued to quietly talk to each other, temporarily forgetting about the other two in the clearing.

Manabohzo slipped out of Maska's grip to make his way over to Nanuq, who at this point had burned through his anger and sat in a dull state of exhaustion. "You look tired; you okay?"

The bear growled half-hardheartedly. "Do you think I'm okay? You led me on a chase for ten days, only to go and completely ruin any chance we had to be rid of them."

The rabbit hummed. "That wouldn't solve the problem forever, you know. Eventually the foreigners will come back – I've been over to their lands a couple times. They're extremely greedy and territorial – at some point they'll find us again, believe me. This is an opportunity, don't you see?"

The grin on the rabbit's face was smug. "When they come back, their villages will inevitably get Spirits to represent them. What we do is raise these two up until they come back, and let them become the new villages. That way we'll have a huge influence on their personalities.

"The foreigners might shape their bodies and minds, but we'll shape their very spirits."

Nanuq thought this over. It sounded very enticing, but then again Manabohzo had always had a way with words. "How do I know this won't backfire on us?"

The rabbit chuckled. "We've got plenty of time. Stop being so moody."

The bear finally nodded. "We're going to raise them separately, then – I refuse to let you influence both of them into your brand of insanity."

"You don't trust me?" Mana sounded hurt.

"Not in the least, but I have no choice in this matter." He padded over to the boys, now asleep after all the stress put on their minds and bodies. "I am taking Kanata north; if you value your life you won't follow me." He shifted into his human form and gently picked up the child, before turning one last time to the Rabbit. "Try not to completely ruin Maska, Rabbit."

Nanuq left the clearing, leaving Mana alone with the sleeping Spirit. "Ruin him? Bah, what does he know? I'll make you great, kid, just you wait." Anything else was lost to the wind and night noises. The man silently wished the poor child luck; he'd need it.

~0~0~

((1960))

"...of course, you complained for a while once you woke up, but after a few months you forgot about them. If I'd known exactly how you brother would end up after six hundred years with him, I'd've been less hasty about separating you two." Nanuq finished, and looked at the dazed and shocked expressions of the three Nations. All of them had sunk to the ground as he'd told his story, gazing at him in disbelief.

"...You – I-" America struggled to find words. "You're joking – there's no way – I mean-"

Canada couldn't say anything, just stare at the bear in shock and betrayal.

Norway, surprisingly, was the first to focus his thoughts. "You're the one who took them. Give me a reason I shouldn't drag you back to the others right now and make a rug out of you."

Nanuq calmly met his gaze. "Like I said, my blood is in their veins. They have effective immortality as long as I'm alive – killing me will be nothing but detrimental to their health. How long do you think it will take for the others to find out and take advantage of the two if they lose the benefits my blood has given them?"

It was true. Without America's supernatural strength (beyond the norm even for those Nations that were stronger than average) or Canada's unnatural sharpshooting and general battle skills, the two would be an easy target for many of the others with a grudge against the two. Norway's head fell into his hands.

America was the next to come to. "So the rabbit I used to play with as a kid... that was really a... a spirit?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Nanuq's annoyance was clear. "Manabohzo was always a deviant; some of his plans..." he shook his head. "Did you know he once tried to stuff all the animals of the world into a bag so that the hunters couldn't get to them? The only thing stopping him was the fact that he couldn't find a bag large enough..."

Canada couldn't help it – he started chuckling. "That sounds exactly like Alfred..."

America's face fell. "Oh come on – even I know that you can't stuff all the animals in the world into a bag."

"And yet your latest plan to defeat Russia is to, and I quote, 'steal all his vodka so that he becomes depressed and gives up his evil Commie ways'."

"It's a great plan!"

"It's stupid and won't work – you can't even get into his country; how do you plan on first finding his house, finding all the vodka, stealing it all,  _and_  keeping him from simply buying more?"

"...shut up, I can make it work."

Both Canada and Nanuq rolled their eyes. "Idiot." They said in unison. Canada turned to the bear, a light frown on his face.

"Nanuq... I really want to punch you for what you did. But since Al and I probably wouldn't be here if you hadn't done what you did... I guess I can forgive you. But you don't get any pancakes for a month."

The bear's jaw dropped, and he whined. "Not the pancakes... anything but that!"

America burst into laughter, his brother close behind. Norway chuckled as well, in a better mood now that the atmosphere had lightened.

America stopped short as a sudden realization hit him. "What're we going to tell the other Nations?"

The sudden silence was deafening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're curious, the Native Spirits can change the size and shape of their forms – so Nanuq can be his cub-size in modern times while at other times he's a full-sized (or larger) bear. Same with 'bohzo and his rabbit form – See: Great Rabbit. They can vary their human forms as well, but only to look Native – they can't pull off other races.
> 
> Yes, Manabohzo is the hero – more specifically his alter-ego Glooskap is. The combination of trickster and hero makes for a very interesting dynamic... one I feel can be seen in America. Also, Native American legends do say that at one point Mana took all the animals of the world and put them in a bag to protect them from hunters... he then let them back out because he realized the hunters did need food.
> 
> Nanuq is known to the Inuit as the Hunter Spirit, and he's very strict about what one must do to earn a successful hunt. This is a good chunk of his personality, although the years with Canada have lightened him up somewhat. Fun fact: Manabohzo is one of the few who can outlast Nanuq when he's on the hunt. It has to do with years of practice escaping from irate Spirits after one of his plans backfires...
> 
> Finally, yes, I've wondered for a long time exactly why America had his super strength from such a young age – he wasn't a world superpower until almost three hundred years later... and England, even though he was a superpower for a while, never showed any form of super strength, so it can't be that. But the explanation I came with for the Vinland!verse... yeah, I think it works.
> 
> [Additional note: This is part of why I feel this should be kept separate as an AU - I get that in all reality the two wouldn't have much to do with the Natives after how they treated them, then and now. But I was and still sorta am fascinated with all the mythologies I can find on them so I explore them through things like this.]


	4. Epilogue: Two Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Nordics and FrUK debate over parenting rights, then mutually traumatize the children.

In the end, they decided to keep Nanuq's story within the family (and that felt weird to say; up until then family had just been France and England). To everyone else, they had simply started recovering some memories when the excavations started revealing familiar sights; their survival was attributed to 'sympathetic Native personifications' and deliberately left vague.

The meeting between the two families afterwords was distinctly awkward.

"So..." England said, trying not to remember when the people across from him had enjoyed raiding his people (and the rest of Europe as well); instead, he chose to focus on his former colony. "...you've gotten your memories back?"

America shrugged. "Not a lot, and they're still kinda fuzzy, but that should change as they continue excavating. Plans are already being made to set up a fund to protect and preserve important sites like them."

Canada nodded, Nanuq curled up beside him on the couch. "Once the excavations are finished, my people plan on recreating the villages as accurately as possible, which should help a lot towards recovering more of them."

America paled. "...fuck, does this make me the younger twin?"

Canada grinned wickedly. "Remember what you did to me the first time you claimed I was your little brother?"

"Noooooooooo!" America cried dramatically. "Artie, save me from him!" He tackled said Nation, 'hiding' behind him and shaking with silent fear (and amusement, although he'd never admit it).

England just huffed before shoving him off. "Oh grow up, Alfred; I can't believe you ever thought you were the eldest with your attitude. Matthew, please stop taunting your brother; I raised you better than that."

Canada blinked, the picture of innocence. "But the Nordics raised me first. I was young and impressionable back then; I obviously picked up something from them."

France chuckled in amusement, and America pouted, turning to the Nordics, who looked like they felt out of their depth in the current situation. "See, these guys who  _claim_  to be my family are cruel and vicious people; obviously you're the only family I can turn to."

Denmark chuckled. "Of course; as my kids, you two can come and hang out whenever you're in the area."

Finland frowned. "Mathias, they're our kids as well; you aren't the only one who provided people for the villages..."

Denmark ignored the comment, instead walking over to America and slapping him hard on the back, knocking him over the table and onto the laps of the seated Nordics (Norway, Sweden, and Finland), head in Sweden's lap.

"Oops, sorry guys..." America muttered as he moved to get off, but was held in place by Sweden. The quiet Nation had a warm look in his eyes, and he put a hand on America's head, lightly grinning at the squawk of protest. Finland chuckled at the sight. "He missed you two the most, you know. Well, we all did, but him especially. You were some of the few people to not be intimidated by him; that meant a lot to him."

While America was being held prisoner on the couch, Canada watched with an amused grin. "You know, he's still ticklish along his sides." America only had time to mouth  _You traitor_ at his brother, betrayal in his eyes, before Sweden started in on him, quickly reducing the superpower to tears and choked laughter.

Denmark, gleam in his eyes, eyed the northern Nation speculatively. "I wonder... since you're twins, does that mean you're still ticklish as well?" Before Canada could react, Denmark had closed the difference and set in on him, falling much like his brother had before him.

England and France sat on the side, watching the events contemplatively. France hummed thoughtfully. "It almost feels like we have been replaced, does it not?"

England huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about, frog."

France wrapped a comforting arm around the smaller Nation's shoulders, ignoring the protests. "They have found their original parents; the ones who, if not for a certain bear, would still be their parents today. I wonder how different the world would be if that had happened..."

The sad tone in his voice made England stop struggling. After a moment of thought, he quietly responded, "We never would have had the opportunity to raise them... see them bloom from young colonies into the Nations they are today..."

"They probably wouldn't be alive today." Both turned to Iceland, who had joined them while they were lost in their thoughts. "You heard the story; we would have eventually been driven out anyway, and without the Spirit-infused blood to preserve them, they would've faded away like morning fog. In a way, Nanuq made it possible for all of us to reunite like this, as opposed to in the afterlife..."

The two were thoughtful at this. "I suppose that is true... I didn't consider it like that... a life without my Matthieu..."

"A life without either of them... Alfred might be annoying most of the time, and he might be loud, but he was cute as a child... and when Matthew moved in, the two were inseparable..." England smiled lightly as he started to lose himself to fond memories of the past.

The Nordics all perked up at the mention of the twin's childhood. Finland smiled excitedly. "Why don't we swap stories? I want to know what the two were like when they lived with you!"

France smiled as well. "And we would like to hear what they were like with you. Plus there is the benefit of completely embarrassing them with their childhood antics."

All the older Nations grinned at this, leaving the twins suddenly fearing for their prides. They tried to make a quick escape, but were caught and forced to listen with embarrassed blushes as their childhoods were cheerfully discussed among both their blood and adoptive parents.

And thus bonding occurred through the mutual traumatizing of the twins.

It was the start of a new future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. Well, not really, since this is the prologue to a whole new range of possibilities... I wonder how things will change now that they're all one big awkward extended family? Not even I know...
> 
> I have to say, this story turned out a lot better than expected for me, though obviously NOW my writing is a LOT better than it was back then. Of course, considering what standards I'm holding myself to, I've got a long way to go before I can consider myself great, but... this was good. Short, but good. And I wrote France not being a pervert (which, while amusing, does tend to grate after a while – hey, if America's not a complete idiot, France isn't a complete pervert.)
> 
> Anyways, if you have questions you can bug me, 'cause overall this is a fairly fun AU, even if it's really in need of clean-up and rebooting.


End file.
